Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every nightA forested campground near fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.
8 miles one way) begins nearby and is the shortest though strenuous route to San Jacinto Peak, with clear-day panoramas that can reach the ocean, Palm Desert, and the San Bernardino and San Gabriel ranges. Beyond that trail, the broader San Bernardino National Forest supports a wide range of activities biking, climbing, fishing, horseback riding and horse camping, hunting, OHV use, interpretive programs, swimming, winter sports and wildlife viewing but services at Fern Basin itself are limited to primitive campground amenities.



Length limits vary by campsite.
Check dates on Recreation.gov.
| Site | Fr 13 | Sa 14 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 005 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 015 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 006 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 004 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 018 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 014 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 016 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 012 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 008 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 009 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 017 standard nonelectric |
✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released
Hookups (individual campsites): 15 no-hookup individual sites.
Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.
Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.
“shady place to sit under a tree and read a good book.”
Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (80 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.
“Great camping spot close to idyllwild. Ideal for tent campers, as the loops are pretty small. The bathrooms are vault toilet but clean and the spot we had was close to the water spigot. Fern Basin is perfect for a quick overnight. ”
| – |
| – |
| $20 |
| 010 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 007 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 013 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
| 019 standard nonelectric | – | – | $20 |
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights2 sites open for every night
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights10 sites open for every night15 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7. Rates are the listed nightly rates.
Tent, van or small RV, no power
15 sites · $20/night
0 open Nov 13–Nov 15
An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.
Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 20 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

Camper van · 19.6 ft · sleeps 2 · 3 mi from campground
$199/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rental
Class C motorhome · 20 ft · sleeps 4 · 11 mi from campground
$175/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rental
Travel trailer · 19 ft · sleeps 4 · 50 mi from campground
$145/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available
View rentalPaid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Palm Springs area · 1 hr–2 hr · from $34/person

Palm Springs area · 3 hr · from $175/person

Palm Springs area · 1 hr · from $42/person

Palm Springs area · 1 hr · from $42/person
For May weekends, book about 144 days ahead. Three in four May Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 107 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.
| Arrival month | Fri/Sat arrivals: half booked at least | A quarter at least | Other days: half booked at least | A quarter at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 107 days ahead | 144 days ahead | 34 days ahead | 100 days ahead |
| June | 75 days ahead | 131 days ahead | 29 days ahead | 94 days ahead |
| July | 49 days ahead | 93 days ahead | 27 days ahead | 70 days ahead |
| August | 47 days ahead | 84 days ahead | 16 days ahead | 41 days ahead |
| September | 33 days ahead | 61 days ahead | 21 days ahead | 57 days ahead |
| October | 35 days ahead | 65 days ahead | 19 days ahead | 41 days ahead |
| November | 25 days ahead | 54 days ahead | 25 days ahead | 48 days ahead |
Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.
Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (4,527 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Palm Springs area · 5 hr · from $249/person

Palm Springs area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person

Palm Springs area · 3 hr–5 hr · from $127/person

Palm Springs area · 2.9 hr–3.2 hr · from $115/person

Palm Springs area · 3 hr–5 hr · from $179/person